Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-11-17


Rev. DR.. Jacob Chamberlain, in an article
IN the Independent, writes:
Nearly forty years ago, tract called
"Spiritual Teaching" written by DR.. H. M.
Scudder, and published by the American
Tract Society, found its way into Telugu
village, rs miles northwest of my present
station in India. It fell into the hands of one
of the head men of the village He was q
high caste man Of noted proi3ty Of character.
He read it and then re-read it with more at
tention. It was the first that he had
heard Of any other religion than Hindu
ism. He had always longed for some help
to get rid Of his sin. This opened to Em the
waY to secure such help. He read the tract
to his wife and his little boys and told them
It was so good it must be true He read it to
his neighbors, and some of them also ac-
cepted its teachings. At last he heard Of q
missionary who taught similar doctrine some
seventy miles away. He went on foot across
the then roadless country, through
the hills to the town where the missionary
was said to live He found him, told him
what he had learned from the little book,
and asked If it were true, and If he knew
about the God that had given his own Son to
save us from our sins He went back and
brought his family with him to hear more of
this wonderful news They were all bap-
tized by the English missionary and he placed
his children in the mission school there to be
educated that they might help make known
these glad tidings to his countrymen. In 1861
buried the old patriarch in a Christian
grave He was man of strong faith and
much prayer. He spent his last breath in
sending up shouts of praise to his Savior for
sending this tract out to his village, and
through it saving him from his sins.
Two of his sons have since been laboring
under my direction as preachers OF the same
gospel The elder was long time native
preacher Of the church at Palamanair. In
1884 stood by his bed and saw him pass
through the pearly gates So much respected
and beloved was he by al, that at his funeral,
both at his house and at the grave, there was,
besides the Christian congregation, large
concourse Of heethen and Mohammedans
present, and many q tear dropped into his
grave with the flower, or the handful Of earth
that each one, Hindus as well as Christians,
reverently cast in. After the funeral promi-
nent Hindu said to me: "Sir, he was man
that never ceased to tell others of his Savior
When he was sick in your hospital one of my
family was also patient in the same ward
and was there a great deal. Every day
and often during the day, he would gather
groups of patients and their friends arouno
him, and read to them from his Bible, anc
talk to them Of the love of Jesus Christ anc
of his willingness to take away the sins of al
who would come to him and ask. Yes, sir,
he was a good man, and we Hindus, too
mourn over his loss
This was accomplished by that one tract
chat found its way, all alone, into that dis
tant Hindu village. Thousands OF Hindu
souls in glory will point back to the leafiet OF
the tract that waited or borne to their dis
tant homes, first told them Of and babe then
seek the river of the water Of life"